Fair question! I'll admit I have barely any experience with solo aid and slightly more experience with normal aid climbing... The added durability seems to be a bonus no matter what climbing discipline you are pursuing and I'd wager the lead belay mode which stiffens the camming operation and makes paying out slack easier would be a boon for such a use, but likely falls outside Petzl's recommendations.

Nice review, but I do have one objection: even though this is a product review, but since you're "an aspirant Rock Guide through the AMGA" according to your bio, I think you should show the proper way of using a belay device. The video you posted (1m21s) did not demonstrate the proper way to feed slack with any version of the Grigri.

Nice review, but I do have one objection: even though this is a product review, but since you're "an aspirant Rock Guide through the AMGA" according to your bio, I think you should show the proper way of using a belay device. The video you posted (1m21s) did not demonstrate the proper way to feed slack with any version of the Grigri.

Thanks for the feedback! I like your other thread I just saw discussing some of the finer points with GriGri belaying. You're correct, my index finger was in the wrong place. Petzl does a good job of showing the proper placement of the index finger at the below link. Regrettably the point I really wanted to get across is this will become even less of an issue with the lead belay mode. Once you get the feel for it you can feed slack quite quickly without having to touch the device, which is obviously the best outcome. I get the feel for it right around 1:29 in the video.

NEAlpineStart Lottmann wrote: Once you get the feel for it you can feed slack quite quickly without having to touch the device, which is obviously the best outcome. I get the feel for it right around 1:29 in the video.

Thanks for the review. That's good information to know for when I need to replace my current Grigri.

Technology is progress real quick even in rock climbing equipments. No doubt grigri is a good belay device. I owned a first generation grigri.

It could be dangerous for beginners not in terms of safe but the lost of knowledge of using a ‘traditional’ belay devices. I noticed in forums there’s many questions were asked like:

1. How to use an ATC belay device

2. How to abseil with ATC

3. How to top belay with ATC & etc

grigri indeed a very convenient device but less versatile compared to a more traditional devices like figure 8, ATC & etc. When I climb with newer climbers I’ll make it a point that they start with ATC before using a grigri. I do not wish the newer generation of climbers lost the essence of how to operate a basic belay device.